Bombay - Directed By Mani Ratnam, 1995

The film opens, with Shekhar, a journalist studying in Bombay, who is son to a traditional Hindu. Shekhar meets a young woman, Shaila Bano who is Muslim. Unfortunately, in India, it is not honorable for Hindus and Muslims to interrelate. By fate, the two fall in love and want to marry. Both father disapprove with great judgment and ultimately Shekhar leaves Bombay leaving Shaila, who is arranged to marry a Muslim man. Shaila, being pressured by her father, leaves home and follows Shekhar to the city. The two get married and move into an apartment. They raise to twin boys as Muslim and Hindu. Shekhar and Shaila have yet to recognize just how complicated these two opposing dogmas will soon cause for them. The film then cuts to around actual events that occurred in Bombay from late 1992 into early '93. After years of having settled down in their nice new apartment, with Shekhar continuing work as a journalist and Shaila at home raising the kids, now find themselves in the midst of religious extremism. Religious riots break out in Bombay, leaving hundreds of Hindus and Muslims dead. Now oblviously the livelihood of the entire family is in jeopardy. They are constantly under threat. The two boys ate later separated from their parents in the heat of thus tragedy, and eventually the boys lose each other as well. Now the family must cope with being divided.

Main Theme
Inter-religious relations and religious riots remain futile but factual. This film criticizes and directs the blame of unnecessary tragedy onto the Indian government, who is rendered manipulative. The hierarchy of the Indian government seems to be the product of the tragic event in Bombay, as well as the influence of hatred between the Hindus and Muslims for their own ravenous reasons.

Reaction

I am not too surprised about the events in this film. I find politics to be distasteful and ironically unfair to its causes. However, I do believe this is a great film to show the world. There are people who believe that assault is appropriate, given the circumstance. I don’t believe anyone would openly admit that but I do believe I see it for myself every day. The film Bombay does just that. It shows us the extreme assault that is derived from how greedy and selfish people are; people who create excuses to specifically get what they crave. Religiously, I found the conflicts and its ultimate use in the film to be accurate but as always shameful. I have never been outside of the United States but even in this country, I find that I am judged for being a black female, who speaks proper English. Some people will never accept myself as an equal but hopefully I will never be killed for being born that way.